"Meanwhile, the Queensland Resources
Council says it supports a recommendation to allow pre-emptive
water releases from mines during high rainfall events.
The report's outlined 19 recommendations for the mines industry,
including for the State Government to amend the Environmental
Protection Act.
Several mines in central Queensland were washed out for months
during last summer's natural disaster.
Chief executive Michael Roche says the laws must be improved
to help mines prepare for a wet season.
"I think it's quite significant that the commission has
recommended consideration of amendments to legislation to allow
either pre-emptive mine water discharges in advance of a forecast
of a major rainfall event, or a blanket release of water after
such a major event," he said."

This is the gem the mines
have been waiting for and the "flood inquiry" was the
tool. There was no flood event caused by mine water but contamination
of the Fitzroy river in particular was reported in TCP 47. This
innocent sounding item will allow the mines to rid themselves
of a pollution cleanup that would cost them billions and will
contaminate our rivers that flow to the reef with a stew of toxins.
It is no accident that most coal mines are adjacent to river
beds. See the article below for more on what this "mine
water" means but the shorthand is; water exposed to coal
seams becomes acidic enough to leach heavy metals from the surrounding
earth and concentrate them in solution. THIS IS TOXIC WASTE!!

Below are links to web sites that
I believe are important information concerning water use and
waste water issues in Queensland Coal mining areas. Please note
that I do not consider mining company or Queensland Government
web sites necessarily reliable on these subjects. At least one
that I found I know to be farcical. Some mining companies would
very much like to convince the public that they have a quick,
easy and cheap fix but according to research from the US and
New Zealand it isn't possible.

Click on the photo below to
see how mining waste water can effect a community. How Xstrata
may have saddled the Whitsunday shire for it's environmental
clean-up responsibilities. An article by Bob Norson

"Access to a reliable source
of water is an essential requirement for coal mines. Even those
mines that do not wash their product through a preparation plant
need significant quantities for dust management, drilling, human
consumption and numerous other uses. Current corporate reports
provide statistics showing that approximately 200L of fresh water
can be consumed for every tonne of coal produced, although that
can vary both upwards and downwards according to operating practice
and circumstances. The transformation of this fresh water to
dirty water which must then be managed through the mines systems
and storages generates additional challenges. In Central Queensland
the combination of extended drought conditions, continued new
coal developments, a beleaguered agricultural sector and a new
regulatory regime for managing water has placed the issue at
the top of the public agenda. Water availability is now a limiting
factor on development in the region."